• Solution: (c) 

Explanation:

• Kaziranga lies within the Kaziranga–Karbi Anglong landscape, where the Karbi Anglong hills act as highland refuges for animals during Brahmaputra floods. Wildlife corridors like Harmati, Deosur, and Kanchanjuri connect the park to Karbi Anglong. Hence Statement 1 is Correct:

• The park’s grassland ecosystem depends on annual flooding, which replenishes nutrients, and controlled burning, which prevents woody encroachment and maintains grazing grounds. Hence Statement 2 is Correct

• Kaziranga was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 for its exceptional biodiversity and is also a Tiger Reserve (declared in 2006) under Project Tiger, managed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Hence Statement 3 is Correct

Additional Insight:

• Located in Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam, the park covers ~1,090 sq km (core + buffer).
• Home to two-thirds of the world’s one-horned rhinoceros population, with one of the highest tiger densities in India.
• Recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) under BirdLife International for its significant avifaunal diversity.

• Solution: (a) 1 only

Explanation:

• The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) was established in 2003 under the Sixth Schedule following the Bodo Accord of 2003 between the Government of India, Government of Assam, and the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT).
  It governs the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), comprising four districts — Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, and Udalguri. Hence Statement 1 is Correct
• The 2020 Bodo Accord did not expand the Council’s jurisdiction to all Bodo-inhabited areas across Assam.
  Instead, it retained the existing four districts within the BTR and proposed a Commission to examine inclusion or exclusion of villages based on the Bodo population concentration, rather than automatic inclusion. Hence Statement 2 is Incorrect

Additional Insight:

• The BTC has 46 members — 40 elected and 6 nominated by the Governor of Assam.
• It enjoys legislative, executive, and financial powers over subjects listed in the Sixth Schedule such as land, forests, agriculture, and education.
• The 2020 Accord emphasized development, political autonomy, and recognition of Bodo language (in Devanagari script) as an official associate language of Assam.

• Solution: (d).

Explanation:

• INS Androth is the second ship of the Shallow Water Craft (SWC) or Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Corvette series, built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
• Named after Androth Island in the Lakshadweep archipelago, it is designed for anti-submarine operations in coastal waters, mine-laying, and surveillance.
• These vessels feature indigenous sensors, propulsion systems, and weapons, highlighting India’s growing naval self-reliance.

Solution: (c) 

Explanation:

• Hilsa is anadromous, meaning it lives in the sea but migrates upriver to spawn during the monsoon. This life cycle is ecologically similar to that of salmon. Hence Statement 1 is Correct
• The Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna River system supports the largest natural population of Hilsa in South Asia, with Bangladesh contributing the majority of global Hilsa catches. Hence Statement 2 is Correct
• The Farakka Barrage, built in 1975, obstructed Hilsa migration beyond Farakka into the upper Ganga reaches.
  • Earlier, Hilsa would migrate up to Allahabad and even Delhi, but this movement declined drastically after the barrage’s construction.
  • Ineffective fish passes and altered river flow have reduced breeding success in upstream areas.
  • Hence Statement 3 is Correct

Solution: (b) 

Explanation:

• The IAEA’s primary mandate under its safeguards system is to verify that nuclear materials are not used for weapons, thus ensuring nuclear security and non-proliferation. Hence Statement I is Correct
• The IAEA implements safeguards primarily in NPT signatories, but it can also enter voluntary safeguard agreements with non-NPT states (e.g., India’s safeguards after the 2008 India–IAEA agreement). Hence Statement II is Correct but does not explain Statement I directly
  Hence, the statement is partly true in fact but does not directly explain how nuclear security is ensured — it only describes the scope of implementation.
• By providing technical assistance in peaceful uses (medicine, food irradiation, agriculture, nuclear power safety), the IAEA builds trust and compliance among states, reinforcing non-proliferation norms, thereby explaining how the Agency enhances global nuclear security. Hence Statement III is Correct and explains Statement I

Additional Insight:

• IAEA was established in 1957 under the UN system as an autonomous intergovernmental organization.
• Operates on three pillars:
  1. Safeguards and verification (non-proliferation)
  2. Safety and security
  3. Science and technology for peaceful uses
• India is not a signatory to NPT but has a specific safeguards agreement (INFCIRC/754) with the IAEA covering its civilian nuclear facilities.